Clarice Orsini
Early Life Clarice Orsini was a Roman noblewoman raised in an elite Roman family of Orsini branch. Her father Jacopo Orsini was the lord of Monterotondo, a papal state. One of her brothers, Orso Orsini served as the commander of the Papal army while the other Rinaldo Orsini was archbishop of Florence. She is the wife of Lorenzo the MagnificentLorenzo the Magnificent. Clarice who happens to be a naive young lady from Rome wishes to take her Holy vows and serve to be a nun out of her compassion for the people, but however she got married to Lorenzo, but kept on doing her charitable deeds among the Florentine people. Season 2 Standing alone From the moment Lorenzo the magnificent saw Clarice, she caught his eye. Clarice is shown very religious and intends to take her religious vows by joining the clergy services as a nun. However, since the Medici family being adamant on gaining greater benefits from Pope and other financial incentives through their Roman branches of bank lures Clarice into marrying Lorenzo through Lorenzo's half-uncle Father Carlo, who also serves to be Clarice's good friend. Obstacle and opportunity At first Clarice Orsini who is originally from a Roman noble elite finds herself incompetent and unsophisticated in terms of the Florentine culture which is in itself very extravagant and artistic, Also Lorenzo's interests seem much contradicting with Clarice's as he is a great admirer of arts and vanity while she is an introvert and religious person, however Lorenzo's continuous patience with her helped her to move into her new Florentine life. Blood with blood Later when she finds her husband to be involved in a long-term romantic relationship with his married mistress Lucrezia Donati, who also happens to be much more beautiful and up to Lorenzo's interests than Clarice herself is. She confronts Lucrezia first and later her husband who in a very proper manner consoles her that he respects her from the very first moment but did not seem to be changing his mind regarding his adulterous relationship. Due to which Clarice tries to remain much patient with the situation, followed by Lorenzo himself apologizing for being a fool eventually and acknowledged to be much privileged to have her as a wife. Ties that bind A year later Clarice gives birth to a boy, whom Lorenzo names Piero de' Medici in remembrance of his late father, and it is thus shown that Clarice has finally found some solace. Alliance While trying to gain votes for securing the post of the existing Gonfalonaire in the Priori's (re)elections, Lorenzo seemed much worried as his ex mistress Lucrezia Donati's husband who at first happened to be his ally now rejects voting in his favor. Clarice herself meets Lucrezia and persuades her to change her husband's mind, while also making Lucrezia believe that Lorenzo never had deceived her rather he loved her once with all his sentiments. Resulting in Lucrezia helping Lorenzo for Clarice's sake and thus Lorenzo gaining his favorable candidate in the elections. Betrayal After successfully establishing an alliance between Florence, Milan and Venice Lorenzo becomes de facto ruler of Florence, much to his rivals Pazzis' dismay who start to plot to murder Lorenzo and his younger brother Giuliano. While trying to lure Lorenzo to Rome for peaceful negotiations over his certain hostile relations with Pope, to kill him in reality, the conspirators (which include Francesco and Jacopo Pazzi, Francesco Salviati, Count Girolamo Riario and Pope Sixtus IV himself, and others) face a delay when Clarice arrives in Rome on behalf of her husband who rather stayed in Florence over her insistence. In Rome Clarice tries to figure out the situation by meeting her friend Carlo, but does not get the clue for the upcoming conspiracy as Carlo was himself blackmailed by one of the conspirators Count Montesseco, and was unable to inform her regarding the new plan the conspirators had planned for her husband and brother-in-law. Clarice however arrives back to Florence safely but tells Lorenzo about Carlo being troubled. Mass On the day of 26th April 1478, while the Medici family (including Clarice, her mother-in-law Lucrezia, Giuliano and Lorenzo) was attending Easter Mass in the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Francesco Pazzi along with other conspirators including Marco Vespucci, Antonio Maffei and others strikes Giuliano and Lorenzo with their daggers. Giuliano who though happened to be much good with combat, could not make it past their assault and was stabbed at least 19 times by the daggers all around his body, while Lorenzo who was struck at the neck very brutally by Antonio Maffei bled very heavily but luckily made it to the sacristy of the cathedral with the help of Clarice who was simultaneously holding the very delirious and hysterical Lucrezia. After the conspirators leave for Plazzo de Vechio, falsely believing Lorenzo to be dead in the sacristy as he was heavily bleeding, Lorenzo also leaves for the government palace with Sandro after attending to the dying Giuliano on the floors of Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral under the Duomo. At the Plazzo de Vechio, after witnessing Lorenzo to be alive the people start hailing him and turn against the Pazzi's who were firm on taking the government from the Medicis. At the end of the day Lorenzo orders the assassinations of all the Pazzis who were later hanged and their corpses mutilated. On witnessing this Clarice and Sandro try to persuade Lorenzo on taking humane measures and being a leader, but all their efforts go into vain as Lorenzo is now firm on slaking his thirst for revenge for his dearest younger brother's demise. Season 3 Realizing her husband Lorenzo much adamant in securing their family and city against the people who had plotted to bring horrors upon their family, Clarice shall try each and every way to support her husband for the sake of her love for him and their children.